Amartya Sen, born in India, is a Nobel prize-winning economist in 1998 for his contribution to welfare economics has written a new book titled, “'The Idea of Justice”. “'The Idea of Justice” is a book on an attempt to understand what a more just world might be like by citing contrasting instances from Kerala and Bihar. The book is ready to be published. 

In this book the distinguished scholar Amartya Sen offers a powerful critique of the theory of social justice that, in its grip on social and political thinking, has long left practical realities far behind. 

By the end of this month, a substantial section of the book will be published. The section of 'The Idea of Justice' is taken up with refuting the conclusions of increasingly influential left-of-centre economists who, while non-institutionalists, have what Dr. Sen sees as a limited view of human needs. 

Dr. Amartya Sen told the Guardian, “the problem with happiness as sole measure is that you may think yourself happy, but in fact be stymied." "You may indeed adjust to your deprivation, as some slaves might have been happier on the plantation than free in the difficult outside world." 

The idea of Justice shows the contrast between the Indian states of Kerala and Bihar. Kerala is a place where, morbidity is lower but concerns about morbidity are higher. Here, ideas and education that helps to reduce morbidity makes people more aware about it. 

The notion of income inequality being per se almost the sole measure of justice is also problematic. "These statistics have all kinds of impurities. If you're asked how happy you are, the answer is exactly informative as to what you would say if somebody asked you how happy you are." 

Similarly, no one can ever know whether you're really happy or not? Strangely one can get very discontented when very successful. And sadly, one do adjust when really deprived. 

Dr. Sen was quoted as saying by the Guardian,” I spent 15 years working on famine and it's amazing how happy famine victims are when they ultimately get a meal. 

But that doesn't mean people are generally more deprived than a famine victim have in a first meal”. 

Dr. Sen’s teaching behind the book is that of capability, the capacity that people have for living and choosing how to live a good life. It shows the good idea of justice is enhancing capability. 

Dr. added, “Take deprived women in a very gender-unequal society. They have less right to go to school and less interest in their well-being”. 

Dr. who is also a Noble prize winner says “One of the early works I did was connected with the Bombay Hospital, where the hospital statistics suggested that the girls were much more ill than the boys, because they were brought into the hospital only when they were more ill than the boys were and that was because there was much more concern with the boys' health”. 

"Sometimes you even, as a girl, get persuaded that it's a natural arrangement, it has always gone on."

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Posted by Naresh Koshti on 10 July, 2009 11:05:35 AM IST #